Creating the consumer society
Why do we buy what we buy? Who created our world of rampant consumerism and how did they do it? In The Men Who Made Us Spend investigative journalist Jacques Peretti examines the trends and techniques, revealing that the answer doesnĄ¯t lie with the people usually associated with selling - the advertisers and marketeers - but with the men behind three key driving forces that changed first the product, and then us.
The Men Who Made Us Spend shows how the long-standing dream of manufacturers to create limitless consumption became a reality once customers bought into the idea of the upgrade. It also explores how they targeted the previously untapped childrenĄ¯s market, and discovered they could apply what was learnt about selling to children to increase sales to adults.
But the biggest cash cow came from fear - by exploiting consumer anxiety they opened up a world of demand for products that offered health or safety benefits.
Episode 2
Investigative journalist Jacques Peretti explores the vast range of products and treatments from anti-aging socks to hormone therapy in an industry worth a staggering 250 billion dollars.
Note: This BBC production not available in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, USA, Canada.
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